Container-tilting rigging



Aug. 7, 1962 J. F. O'BRIEN CONTAINER-TILTING RIGGING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 19, 1960 IN l/EA/TOR JOHN E O'BRIEN y M Attorney 1962 J. F. O'BRIEN 3,047,916

INVENTOR JOHN F O'BRIEN Attorney 3;,tl47,9l6 CGNTAllNER-TlLTING RIGGHNG John F. GBrien, Midlothian, iii, assignor to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Filed Aug. i9, 19%, No. fll7 6 Claims. (Ui. ZZ- SZ} This invention relates to pivotaliy tiltable containers for handling bulk materials, including ladies for handling molten materials such as steel, iron, slag, and the like, and as indicated, to a tilting rigging therefor. More particularly, the rigging of this invention is permanently in stalled as an accessory on a ladle or other pivotally tiltable container and embodies improvements according to which its tilting movement can be eiiected by an auxiliary crane hoist hook without the delay and danger incident to manual connections required by conventional apparatus for this purpose.

While the principles of this invention are applicable in general to pivotally tiltable containers, they are especially adapted for trunnion-supported ladies that are used in handling molten materials, and it will be accordingly understood that the following description of the invention as applied to a ladle of this type illustrates a preferred practice or embodiment of the invention.

Ladies used for transferring molten metal are universally provided with trunnions'about which they can be pivoted to a tilted position for slag and skull removing operations, or for discharging metal therefrom, for example, when the ladies are used in making hot metal additions to an open hearth. The pivotal support for the ladle trunnions usually comprises a bail that is suspended from the main hoist hook of a travelling crane by which the ladle is moved about a mill. According to conven tional practices when tilting of a ladle is required, a link chain is manually connected to lugs on the ladle bottom and to the book of an auxiliary hoist that is suspended from the mill crane in such manner that the ladle Will tilt about its trunnion supports when the hoisting hook is elevated. The manual operations required to connect the chain to the ladle and to the auxiliary crane hoist hook in conventional ladle-tilting apparatus of this charcter are undesirable because they delay the ladle-tilting operation anti must be performed under hazardous working conditions.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a ladle-tilting rigging that eliminates the manual chain hooking operations required by conventional ladletilting practices. A further and related object of the invention is to provide a ladle-tilting rigging that can be connected with an auxiliary crane hoist by the crane operator without the necessity of manual hooking operations. For accomplishing these and other objects, the rigging of this invention comprises, generally stated, a link chain that has one end permanently connected to the bottom of a ladle and its other end removably suspended from a bracket on the side of the ladle by a supporting member to which a lifting shackle is pivotally connected for engagement by the hook of an auxiliary crane hoist. in a manner to be described, the lifting shackle normally occupies a position depending from the chain supporting member when it is suspended on the ladle bracket so that hooking engagement therewith will be effected automatically when the crane hoist hook is moved upwardly to tilt the ladle.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description.

in the drawings, there is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention. in this showing:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view showing the tilting rigging of this invention assembled on aladle;

IGURE 2 is an enlarged plan view of the upper end of a portion of the rigging shown in FFGURE 1;

Patented Aug. '7, 1 19-52 FIGURE 3 is an elevational view taken in a direction looking from below FIGURE 2;

FIGURES 4 and 5 are respectively plan and side views of the chain supporting link forming part of the rigging shown in FIGURES 1-3;

FIGURES 6 and 7 are respectively side and plan views of one of the ladle brackets shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary plan View of a portion of the ladle bottom looking in an upward direction and showing the connection of the ladle-tilting chain thereto; and

FIGURE 9 and 10 are respectively plan and side views of a counterbalanced lifting hook that is suspended from an auxiliary hoist crane hook as shown in FIGURE 1.

FlGURE 1 or" the drawings shows the tilting rigging of this invention in its assembled position on a conventional refractory lined ladle of the type used, for example, in making hot metal additions to an open hearth. The side of the ladle is formed by a steel shell ii and its bottom by a circular steel bottom plate 2. A pair of trunnions 3 (only one of which is shown in FIGURE 1) projecting from diametrically opposite points on the shell 1 define the pivot axis of tilting movement of the ladle. As indicated above, the trunnions 3 are supported for tilting movement on a bail (not shown) suspended from the main hoist hook of a travelling crane. To provide for tilting movement of the ladle, a pair of lugs 4 are secured to the ladle bottom 2, as best shown in FIGURE 8, in laterally spaced positions along a diameter of the bottom 2 parallel to the pivot axis defined by the trunnions 3.

The tilting rigging of this invention comprises a link chain 5 that has its lower end or link 6 connected with the ladle-tilting lugs 4 and its upper end or link 7 suspended from a link 8 that is in the form of a bar and is supported on a ladle bracket 9 in a manner to be described. A lifting shackle it) is connected with the link 8 and is adapted to have hooking engagement either with a hook ill of an auxiliary crane hoist (not shown) mounted on the mill crane or a counterbalanced hook l2 suspended from the hook 11 as shown in FIGURE 1. Upon upward movement of the hooks l1 and 12, the lifting shackle i0 and the chain supporting link 8 are pivoted to an in-line position as shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 1 so that continued upward movement of the hoist hook 11 will be eflective to pull the chain 5 up wardly and to thereby tilt the ladle about the trunnions 3 in a counterclockise direction as viewed in FIGURE 1.

As best shown in FIGURE 8, the connection for the lower end or link 6 of the chain 5 with the ladle lugs 4 comprises a steel ring 13 that has linking engagement in the end link 6 and a pair of connecting links 14 that diverge outwardly with respect to the connecting ring 13 and have openings 15 in similar ends thereof in which the ring 13 is received to provide a motion transmitting connection between the ring 13 and the links 14-. The other ends 16 of the links 14 are connected with the lugs i by shackles 17 that include shackle pins 18 pivotally connected with the link ends 16. By reason of the angularly diverging relation of the links 14 relative to the connecting ring 13, the tilting force applied to the ladle by the link chain 5 is uniformly divided between the ladle lugs d and is not affected by different angular positions of the chain 5 relative to the connecting ring 13.

As mentioned above, the upper end 7 of the chain 5 is suspended on the ladle by the link 8 and the bracket 9. The bracket 9 comprises a pair of parallel steel plates 20 that are secured to the ladle side or shell 1 in vertically extending and laterally spaced positions defining a space 21 therebetween. The vertical bracket plates are braced by horizontal plates 22 that have welded connections with the plates 20 and the ladle shell l. The chain suspending link 8 normally occupies a position between and parallel to the plates 20 at the upper end of the space 21 and has a centrally disposed and transversely extending pin 23, opposite end portions of which have supporting engagement on the upper edges 24 of the plate 20. Upwardly projecting stops 25 limit rolling and sliding movement of the pin 23 over the bracket plate edges 24 in a direction away from the ladle. Pivot pin openings 26 and 27 at opposite ends of the link 8 provide for the pivotal connection therewith of the upper end 7 of the chain and the lifting shackle 10. For this purpose the end link '7 of the chain 5 is pivotally connected to the link 8 by a shackle 28 that has a shackle pin 2;? pivotally received in the opening 26 at the inner end of the link 3, and the lifting shackle is pivotally connected to the link 8 by a shackle pin 30 received in the pivot opening 27 at its outer end.

In the suspended position of the link 8 on the bracket 9 as shown in FIGURE 1, the lifting shackle 10 extends downwardly from the outer end of the link 8 and the chain 5 extends downwardly from its inner end over the ladle side and inwardly over the ladle bottom 2, the lower edge 31 of the ladle shell 1 having a notched opening 32 through which the chain extends. In this position, the shackle 1t} counterbalances the weight of the chain suspended from the shackle 28 to hold the link 8 in the horizontal position shown in FIGURE 1, and the pin 23 is located a shorter distance from the shackle 28 than the shackle 10 to improve the counterbalancing action of the shackle 10.

The counterbalanced hook 12, mentioned above, is pivotally suspended from the auxiliary crane hoist hook 11 by a shackle 33 that includes a shackle pin 34 pivotally connecting it with the hook 12. The hook 12 comprises a hook portion 35 at one side of the shackle pivot pin 34 and a counterbalance weight 36 at the other side thereof. The weight 36 provides a gravitational bias that holds the hook 35 in the position shown in FIGURE 1 and further provides a handle for manually pivoting the hook 35 about the pin 34.

When a. ladle-tilting operation is required, the crane operator lowers the auxiliary hoist hook 11 to a position in which the tip 37 of the lifting hook 35 is below the shackle 10 and then moves the hoist hook ll toward the ladle to a position in which the lifting hook tip 37 is arranged below the space between the shackle in and the ladle. The hoist hook 11 is then elevated and as the lifting hook 35 moves upwardly, its tip 37 engages in the opening 38 in the lifting shackle 1t). Continued upward movement of the hoist hook ill after engagement of the lifting hook 35 with the shackle It in this manner causes pivotal movement of the shackle l0 and link 8 to the relative in-line positions shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 1, after which further upward movement of the lifting hook 35 by the hoist hook 11 is effective to exert an upward pulling force on the chain 5, which moves upwardly through the space 21 in the bracket 9, to tilt the ladle about its trunnions 3. After the ladle-tilting operation has been completed in this manner, the auxiliary crane hoist hook 11 is lowered to return the link 3 to the suspended position shown in FIGURE 1 and to disengage the lifting hook 35 from the lifting shackle l0. Attention is particularly directed to the fact that the ladle-tilting operation is effected without any manual hooking operations at the ladle by an operator.

The use of a counterbalanced hook 12 suspended from the auxiliary hoist hook 11 represents the preferred practice of the invention, but it will be understood that the hook 12. and its suspending shackle 33 may be omitted and, in such case, the lifting shackle 10 can be engaged directly by the crane hoist hook ll.

While one embodiment of my invention has been shown and described it will be apparent that the principles of the invention are applicable, as indicated above, to pivotd ally til-table containers in general, and that other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A container-tilting rigging comprising, in combination with a pivotally tiltable container, a pair of vertically extending parallel bracket plates secured in laterally spaced position to the side of said container and respectively having upwardly facing upper edges, a supporting pin arranged transversely of said plates with opposite end portions thereof supported on said plate up er edges, a link parallel to said plates and having a centrally disposed supporting connection with said pin, said link normally occupying a horizontal position in the space above and between said plates, a shackle pivotally connected to one end of said link and extending downwardly therefrom into the space between said plates, a link chain having a supporting connection at one end with said shackle and a connection at its other end with the bottom of said container at a point centrally thereof, said chain having a length such that when said pin end portion are supported on said plate upper edges it extends downwardly over the side of said container and inwardly over the bottom thereof, and a lifting shackle pivotally connected with the other end of said link for engagement by a crane hoist hook, said lifting shackle being eifective upon upward movement thereof to raise said pin relative to said bracket plates and to apply an upward pulling force to said chain for tilting said container.

2. A container-tilting rigging as defined in claim 1 characterized by said plate upper edges respectively having upwardly projecting stops for engaging and limiting the movement of the said opposite end portions of said pin over said plate edges in a direction away from said container.

3. A container-tilting rigging as defined in claim 1 characterized by said lifting shackle normally occupying a vertical position depending downwardly from the said other end of said link.

4. A container-tilting rigging as defined in claim 1 characterized by the said means connecting the said other end of said chain with said container comprising a pair of lugs secured in laterally spaced relation to the container bottom, a pair of shackles connected with said lugs, a pair of links pivotally connected at one end with said shackles and having openings at the other end thereof, and means including a connector ring extending through said link openings and providing a common connection for said links with the said other end of said chain.

5. A container-tilting rigging comprising, in combination with a container having side trunnions providing for its tilting movement, and a crane hoist hook positioned alongside said container for vertical movement relative thereto, a pair of laterally spaced and vertically extending parallel bracket plates secured to the side of said container and respectively having upwardly facing upper edges, a supporting pin arranged transversely of said plates with opposite end portions supported on said plate upper edges, a link parallel to said plates and having a centrally disposed supporting connection with said pin, said link being pivotal about said pin and normally occupying a horizontal position in the space above and between said plates, a shackle pivotally connected to one end of said link and extending downwardly therefrom into the space between said plates, a link chain having a supporting connection at one end with said shackle and a connection at its other end with the bottom of said container at a point centrally thereof, said chain having a length such that when said pin end portions are supported on said plate upper edges it extends downwardly over the side of said container and inwardly over the bottom thereof, a lifting shackle pivotally connected with and extending downwardly from the other end of said a shackle pivotally supporting and suspending it from References Cited in the file of this patent engages said downwardly extending lifting shackle in re- 10 2 910,746

sponse to its upward movement by said crane hoist hook.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Boiteau Jan. 12, Wellman Mar. 17, Audrey Sept. 6, Robb et a1 Mar. 15, Nelson Jan. 31, Marx Dec. 12, Schweinberg Nov. 3, 

